Chapter 2865 — Wei Zhao's Whereabouts
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
"Ah, Young Sect Master Tian, hello..." Zhao Qilei jumped in fright. He had never met Tiancan Bian, but he well knew what a formidable figure the Young Sect Master of the Xuandan Sect was—one of the most powerful presences among the ancient sects, comparable to the hidden Yu family among the hidden clans. So Zhao Qilei asked with the utmost respect, "May I ask, you sought me out for...?"
Naturally, Zhao Qilei did not for a moment suspect that the person before him was an impostor. To impersonate the Young Sect Master of the Xuandan Sect on the Xuandan Sect's own territory—would that not be courting death?
"I came here because there is something I wish to ask you. But will you not invite me in?" Tianchan asked, poised and at ease.
"Ah, forgive me. Please come in, Young Sect Master Tian!" Zhao Qilei hurriedly gestured for him to enter, and let Tiancan Bian into the room.
"Zhao Qilei, I came here because there is something I wish to ask you. I hope you will answer me truthfully." Though Tiancan Bian put on no airs before Zhao Qilei, she had also shed the frail gentleness that had belonged to Tianchan.
"Ask whatever you wish, Young Sect Master Tian. Anything I know, I will certainly not conceal." Zhao Qilei spoke thus, but his promise to answer truthfully extended only to what could be told; of what could not, he would not breathe a single extra word.
"Good." Tianchan did not trouble herself over whether Zhao Qilei's words were true or false, and merely asked, "What is your relationship with Wei Zhao?"
"Wei Zhao..." Zhao Qilei started. "What has happened to him?"
"Answer my question first." Tianchan's face betrayed nothing, but inwardly she breathed a sigh of relief. Since Zhao Qilei had spoken so, it meant nothing had befallen Wei Zhao—otherwise he would not have asked that.
"I am Wei Zhao's underling," Zhao Qilei answered honestly. There was no need to hide this at all.
Tianchan nodded and went on, "Then during the trial, did you encounter your leader?"
Hearing Tianchan actually call Wei Zhao "your leader," Zhao Qilei was rather surprised. He had not expected the Young Sect Master Tian to be so approachable. In truth, Tianchan herself might not have noticed this subtle change; perhaps, deep in her heart, she felt that one day she might become Zhao Qilei's sister-in-law, and so her manner of speaking had shifted considerably as well.
"I did. Our leader had a trial map of the Xuandan Sect, marked with the safe zones. It was the map your Xuandan Sect gave him—Young Sect Master Tian should know of it, yes?" After receiving the map, Zhao Qilei had heard Wei Zhao say it came from the Xuandan Sect, so he concealed nothing. "And I have a copy of that map as well."
"Oh? So you met at the safe zone?" Tianchan did not probe into the matter of the map at all, but continued her questions.
"Yes, we met at the safe zone," Zhao Qilei said with a nod.
After hearing Zhao Qilei's answer, Tianchan grew somewhat puzzled. Wei Zhao's journey to the safe zone must have come after his return from the Five Malice Mountains. Since Wei Zhao had reached the safe zone safely, why had he not later come out together with Zhao Qilei?
"The safe zone—did you encounter Zhang Naipao there?" Tianchan suddenly thought of Zhang Naipao and asked in passing. (Zhang Naipao: I weep. I was clearly the one she came to investigate, yet she forgot me. And when she finally remembered, it was only in passing... Supporting characters have no rights!)
"Zhang Naipao? Yes, we encountered him." What had happened during the trial was no secret; even if Zhao Qilei said nothing, the two disciples of the Dark Night Palace would speak of it. So Zhao Qilei told the truth: "And our leader clashed with Zhang Naipao again."
"The two of them clashed? And then?" Tianchan asked, unable to contain her urgency.